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US 2011/0252800 A1Published application
Aluminium combustion power system
AssigneeThe Penn State Research Foundation
InventorsThomas Cawley, Brian Lowery, Timothy F. Miller, John Herr, Martin Klanchar, Daniel H. Kiely
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine that oxidizes aluminum with water to produce electrical and/or mechanical power. The engine can include a fuel made at least partly from aluminum powder that flows like liquid under high pressure. The engine can also include a steam supply system, a combustor, a fuel feed system, a fuel injection system, and a water supply system.
Claims18
An engine that reacts aluminum with water to produce electrical and/or mechanical power, said engine comprising:
- a fuel containing aluminum powder that flows like liquid under high pressure;
- a steam supply system;
- a combustor having an inlet, an outlet and a combustor wall;
- a fuel feed system operable to pump said fuel from a fuel tank to said combustor;
- a fuel injection system operable to mix steam with said fuel and spray said fuel and steam mixture into said combustor;
- a water supply system operable to spray water into said combustor;
- wherein said water reacts with said aluminum powder to produce molten aluminum oxide droplets, heat, steam and hydrogen, said water also solidifying said molten aluminum oxide droplets before contacting said combustor wall and prevent clogging of said combustor.
4 more elements
A process for producing power from aluminum and water, the process comprising:
- providing aluminum powder, steam, water and a combustor;
- flowing the aluminum powder from a fuel tank to an injection nozzle;
- mixing the aluminum powder with steam in the injection nozzle;
- injecting the aluminum powder-steam mixture and the water into the combustor;
- reacting the aluminum powder with the steam in a combustion zone within the combustor, the reaction producing molten aluminum oxide droplets and heat, the heat converting at least part of the water in the combustor into steam;
- cooling the molten aluminum oxide droplets with the water injected into the combustor and producing solidified aluminum oxide particles;
- flowing a steam plus aluminum oxide particles mixture out of the combustor;
- separating at least part of the aluminum oxide particles from the steam plus aluminum oxide particles mixture to produce a turbine quality steam;
- and
- passing the turbine quality steam into a steam turbine, the steam turbine producing power.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.